Hum
by whirlgig
Summary: Harry thinks they need a refrigerator. HP/GW Married. Written for the 'beetle eyes' challenge on catchmysnitch.


**Hum**

Harry thinks they need a refrigerator, because he wants the kids to be able to eat ice cream and cooling charms sort of freak him out, especially in summer.

Ginny sighs and rolls her eyes but smiles and says yes anyway.

Harry nods and the decision is made. They are getting a refrigerator.

...

A week passes and Ginny watches Harry pore over brochures; fussing over details like energy consumption and chill zones when really he should be thinking about _how it's even going to_ _work _but he seems so pleased with himself that Ginny thinks he might have figured it out.

Harry looks up at her suddenly, their eyes meet and he smiles and Ginny wonders, fleetingly, fondly, how she ended up marrying her father.

...

It arrives sooner than expected, all hard edges and smooth cool steel and a light that comes on automatically when you open it.

Arthur _loves_ the new refrigerator.

Harry looks at her, eyes shining, and Ginny admits that she doesn't mind it either.

...

Later, when Harry and the kids are asleep, Ginny creeps downstairs to the kitchen, lit wand in hand. She examines the cords which run into the wall, knowing they are hooked up to some kind of system on the roof (Harry had mentioned the sun) but the thought is such a strange one she doesn't know quite what to make of it. She opens the refrigerator door and stands in front of it, searching its empty shelves for a clue. The chill seeps around her in the faint yellow glow and she wonders at how different, how simple things would have been if she had grown up surrounded by this other kind of Magic; the kind that beeps and lights up and spits out ice chips by _pressing a button _and speaks to you on a little screen. Welcome, it says.

She smiles. 'Hello to you too," she murmurs. "We need to go grocery shopping tomorrow."

The refrigerator hums.

...

Harry takes the boys to Diagon Alley because Lily wants to show Mum the new move the Quidditch captain (Joshua, Lily breathes) showed her at school. Something about the way Lily's cheeks dimple and eyes brighten as she flies off makes Ginny's heart clench and she thinks, _not yet._

She doesn't say it, but she does hug Lily a little too hard after she dismounts but Lily just laughs and runs into the house because her brothers are home and Dad is at the door, shopping bags in hand. Ginny walks towards Harry, a huge smile on his face as he holds up his purchases.

"I'll even unpack them myself," he says, and he is _so_ _proud_ of himself that Ginny has to laugh.

...

"Beetle eyes, Harry?_" _

Harry pauses in his unpacking and looks up from his position in front of the refrigerator. Ginny is looking down at him, brow arched, a packet of beetle eyes in one hand.

A blush creeps over Harry's cheeks and he looks a little sheepish.

"Well, I just sort of-"

"He got carried away again," Albus says, not looking up from his book and James snorts in a 'that's one way to put it' sort of way and Harry mumbles something about "five Knuts a scoop" and "bargain" as Ginny shakes her head at him because, really, beetle eyes?

"You're so cool, dad," Lily says and pats him on the shoulder in a way that means she thinks he's the lamest dad, like, _ever_ but that she loves him anyway because he also bought them _ice cream,_ the good stuff from Fortesque's in the take-home tub which they can put in their _refrigerator _which shouldn't even be _possible _and –

He's pretty brilliant, really.

...

Ginny climbs into bed that night, staring at the messy head on the pillow beside her. He turns to her as he feels her side of the bed dip and his eyes darken in the half light and Ginny barely has time for a '_this is my life, happening now'_ moment before he is kissing her, fingertips skimming over favourite places and her blood is heating up, uncoiling within her and there is suddenly nothing but thick night air and heavy breaths against skin and this really is her life, happening now.

Ginny knows that Harry may not get everything right, but afterwards as they lie there tangled together, a lazy hand running through her hair, she also thinks that there are some things he never gets wrong.

...

Downstairs, the refrigerator hums on.


End file.
